I know I have had this discussion with a few members of this forum over the past few years but I can't recall ever starting up a thread about this topic.

Of the 102 executions, one of them was a relative of mine. Martin Burke was from Headford, Co. Galway and my grandfather claims he was a cousin of his. Since I have come up with the actual letter that he wrote to another cousin, the night before he was executed, I have to believe my grandfathers claim. I also have the letter Stephen Joyce wrote to his sister the night before the execution. Stephen is not related. I will try to post the actual letters, so you can read them. They are very fragile and aged and I think I still can get a clean readable copy from them. As you will read in both letters, Martin and Stephen had no regrets for giving up their lives for the fight for Irish freedom.

Martin and four other accomplices, Thomas Hughes, Michael Walsh, Herbert Collis and Stephen Joyce were executed on January 20, 1923 at the Athlone Prison at sunrise. Even though they were tried for treason, I have yet to find out their actual crime.

There were 164 executions in Southern Ireland during the 20th century. 12 men and 1 woman were hanged under British civil jurisdiction between 1900 and 1911. Thereafter there were no more executions for civilian crimes under British rule. However 15 men were executed by firing squad for treason, under British jurisdiction, for their parts in the 1916 Easter Rebellion. (see below).There were 102 executions during the Irish Civil War (1920 - 1923) with 91 men shot and 11 hanged. In September 1922 the Dαil (parliament) Resolution passed a resolution providing for the death penalty for terrorist offences, following trial by military tribunal. As a result, the provisional 26 counties government executed 75 people in the six months from November 1922 to April 1923, all by firing squad at various locations.35 people, including 1 woman, were hanged for murder between 1922, (after Ireland had achieved independence) and 1954. Annie Walsh of Co. Limerick was executed on the 5th of August 1925 at Dublins Mountjoy prison for the murder of her husband. (The British administration had reprieved all six females sentenced to death in the seventeen years prior to independence).25-year-old Michael Manning became the last to be executed, for the murder of Catherine Cooper, an elderly nurse. All these executions were carried out by the serving British hangman of the day, who was always an unpopular figure in Ireland.

Capital punishment was partially abolished in 1964, for all but a few very specific forms of murder, notably the murder of police officers (the Garda) or prison officers. The Dαil finally abolished it completely in 1990, when new legislation created a 40-year minimum prison term for exceptional murders. The last to be sentenced to death were Noel Callen and Michael McHugh for the murder of Garda Patrick Morrissey after a robbery in County Louth in 1985. Noel and Marie Murray came close to being the last to be executed, having been convicted of the capital murder of Garda Michael Reynolds following an armed bank robbery in Dublin in 1975. They both refused to seek clemency, so to avoid international embarrassment the president decided to impose it upon them whether they wanted it or not. On the 1st of November 1976 the Supreme Court quashed Noels capital murder conviction and substituted one of common murder and ordered a re-trial for Marie in 1977 - this time she was found guilty of only common murder. They were both released in 1992. Of the 11 people who received death sentences in Eire in the 1970's and 1980's, all have been released except the last two who were sentenced in 1985 - but they will never serve 40 years under the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights, as a judge did not determine the sentence.

Day

Date

Name

Age

Place

Crime

Hangman

Tue

10/04/1900

Patrick Dunphy

34

Waterford

child murder

Thomas Scott

Fri

11/01/1901

Timothy Cadogan

Cork

murder land agent

James Billington

Thur

07/03/1901

John Toole

Dublin

wife murder

Thomas Scott

Wed

23/04/1902

Thomas Keeley

28

Galway

murder landlady

William Billington

Tue

30/12/1902

James Docherty

65

Sligo

murder son

William Billington

Wed

07/01/1903

Joseph Taylor

25

Kilkenny

murder

William Billington

Fri

09/01/1903

Mary Daly

40

Tullamore

murder husband

William Billington

Tue

05/01/1904

Joseph Moran

Londonderry

murder woman

William Billington

Thur

14/04/1904

James Campion

Kilkenny

wife murder

William Billington

Fri

15/04/1904

John Kelly

Kilkenny

wife murder

William Billington

Tue

25/04/1905

John Foster

Cork

murder soldier

William Billington

Tue

04/01/1910

Joseph Hefferman

27

Dublin

murder woman

Henry Pierrepoint

Wed

04/01/1911

William Scanlan

Cork

murder sister in law

John Ellis

Thur

29/11/1923

William Downs

25

Dublin

murder police officer

John Ellis

Wed

12/12/1923

Thomas Delaney

38

Dublin

murder old man

Tom Pierrepoint

Wed

12/12/1923

Thomas M' Donagh

42

Dublin

murder woman

Tom Pierrepoint

Sat

15/12/1923

Peter Hynes

40

Dublin

murder soldier

Tom Pierrepoint

Thur

13/03/1924

Jeremiah Gaffney

23

Dublin

murder

Tom Pierrepoint

Fri

01/08/1924

Felix McMullen

26

Dublin

murder police officer

Tom Pierrepoint

Tue

28/07/1925

Cornelius O' Lleary

40

Dublin

murder brother

Tom Pierrepoint

Wed

05/08/1925

Michael Talbot

24

Dublin

murder

Tom Pierrepoint

Wed

05/08/1925

Annie Walsh

31

Dublin

murder husband

Tom Pierrepoint

Thur

15/07/1926

James Myles

22

Dublin

murder

Tom Pierrepoint

Wed

24/11/1926

James M' Hugh

31

Dublin

murder

Tom Pierrepoint

Thur

09/12/1926

Henry M' Cabe

48

Dublin

murder employers

Tom Pierrepoint

Thur

29/12/1927

William O' Neill

19

Dublin

murder woman

Tom Pierrepoint

Wed

29/08/1928

Gerard Toal

18

Dublin

murder housekeeper

Tom Pierrepoint

Thur

25/04/1929

John Cox

33

Dublin

murder

Tom Pierrepoint

Thur

04/08/1931

David O'Shea

34

Dublin

murder

Tom Pierrepoint

Thur

29/12/1932

Patrick McDermott

26

Dublin

murder

Tom Pierrepoint

Fri

05/01/1934

John Fleming

32

Dublin

murder

Tom Pierrepoint

Fri

17/06/1937

John Hornick

Dublin

murder

Tom Pierrepoint

Sat

07/01/1939

Dermot Smith

33

Dublin

murder

Tom Pierrepoint

Fri

06/09/1940

Patrick McGrath

Dublin

I.R.A. murder

Firing squad

Fri

06/09/1940

Thomas Harte

Dublin

I.R.A. murder

Firing squad

Tue

07/01/1941

Daniel Doherty

29

Dublin

murder woman

Tom Pierrepoint

Wed

23/04/1941

Henry Gleeson

39

Dublin

murder woman

Tom Pierrepoint

Sat

09/08/1941

Richard Goss

26

Maryborough(Portlaoise)

shot at police

Firing squad

Thur

18/12/1941

Patrick Kelly

31

Dublin

murder woman

Not known

Thur

05/03/1942

George Plant

38

Maryborough(Portlaoise)

murder

Firing squad

Thur

12/11/1942

Maurice O' Neill

Dublin

shot at police

Firing squad

Wed

02/06/1943

Bernard Kirwan

39

Dublin

murder brother

Tom Pierrepoint

Thur

12/08/1943

William O' Shea

24

Dublin

wife murder

Tom Pierrepoint

Fri

01/12/1944

Charles Kerins

Dublin

murder police officer

Tom Pierrepoint

Mon

19/03/1945

James Lehman

Dublin

wife murder

Not known

Mon

31/03/1947

Joseph McManus

41

Dublin

murder

Albert Pierrepoint

Wed

24/11/1948

William Gambon

28

Dublin

murder

Albert Pierrepoint

Tue

20/04/1954

Michael Manning

25

Dublin

murder

Albert Pierrepoint

The Easter Rebellion.

In May 1916, 14 men were shot by firing squad in the Quarry Yard at Dublins Kilmainham prison and 1 more (Thomas Kent) at Cork Barracks, having been convicted of treason for their parts in the 1916 Easter Rebellion. Plaques mark the place where these executions were carried out within Kilmainham.

Tom Clarke

Wednesday 3rd May

Thomas MacDonagh

Wednesday 3rd May

Padraic Pearse

Wednesday 3rd May

Joseph Mary Plunkett

Thursday 4th May

William Pearse

Thursday 4th May

Ned Daly

Thursday 4th May

Michael O'Hanrahan

Thursday 4th May

John MacBride

Friday 5th May

Eamonn Ceannt

Monday 8th May

Michael Mallin

Monday 8th May

Conn Colbert

Monday 8th May

Sean Heuston

Monday 8th May

Thomas Kent

Tuesday 9th May

Sean MacDiarmada

Friday 12th May

James Connolly

Friday 12th May

Dublins prisons.

Mountjoy prison, built in 1851, on what is now Dublins North Circular Road, was the scene of 24 of the 20th century hangings. These took place in the two story "hanghouse" at the end of D Wing. The gallows chamber was on the first floor and was destroyed in a prison riot in the 1970s. Mountjoys first execution was that of John Toole in 1901. Previously Dublin executions had been carried out at Kilmainham jail (in public up to 1868, on the first floor balcony over the main door) or at Newgate Prison in Green Street. This was the prison for the City of Dublin while Kilmainham served as the prison for the County of Dublin. Newgate has been demolished and is now a public park. It is said that the underground dungeons may still exist under the park. The gallows at Newgate was very similar to that of Kilmainham and was also located over the front door. The hanghouse at Kilmainham is believed to have been built from bricks salvaged from the old condemned cells that stood in one of the jail's yards. Newgate and Kilmainham prisons both carried public executions at the same period.

Kilmainham ceased to be a civilian prison in 1910. The executions of the Irish Invincibles, Joseph Brady, Tim Kelly, Michael Fagan, Daniel Curley and Thomas Caffrey took place within its walls on the 14th of May 1883. These men had been convicted of the murders on the 6th of May 1882, of Lord Frederick Cavendish, British secretary for Ireland, and Thomas Henry Burke, his under-secretary, in Dublins Phoenix Park. Due to the political nature of the crime, security was tight and Kilmainham prison was surrounded by Grenadier Guards, infantry and police while William Marwood went about his work on a gallows erected in one of the prison yards. Kilmainham Jail has been restored and is now open to the public. It is a fascinating place to visit.

The Civil War period.

102 executions were carried out during the Irish Civil War (War of Independence) for terrorist murders and treason. Most of these were by military firing squad and were typically carried out in batches. John Ellis carried out the hangings in Mountjoy prison, as he was the U.K.s principal executioner at the time.

Wow, very impressive and also very sad. The letters were very touching, what could a person write on the eve of their death, especially a death on what probably amounted to trumped up charges. This post took some effort and I want to thank you for the history lesson.

You may want to contact a museum to see what can be done to protect the letters. There may even be a collection you could loan them to that would not only preserve them but display them with others that may exist as a memorial to those that died in those explosive years.

From what I understand, my cousin in Ireland, still has three other letters. Two written by Martin and one by Herbert Collis. He originally had all five but passed two onto a cousin in New York. The two that were used for this thread. Since all five boys knew each other and the families lived close to each other, the five letters were somehow gathered together and came down through my family.

I have not seen the other three letters, nor do I know who they were addressed to. My understanding, is that they were written to other family members. Hopefully, on one of my trips back to Ireland, I will get to see them.

O see the fleet-foot host of men, who march with faces drawn, From farmstead and from fishers' cot, along the banks of Ban; They come with vengeance in their eyes. Too late! Too late are they, For young Roddy McCorley goes to die on the bridge of Toome today.

Oh Ireland, Mother Ireland, you love them still the best The fearless brave who fighting fall upon your hapless breast, But never a one of all your dead more bravely fell in fray, Than he who marches to his fate on the bridge of Toome today.

Up the narrow street he stepped, so smiling, proud and young. About the hemp-rope on his neck, the golden ringlets clung; There's ne'er a tear in his blue eyes, fearless and brave are they, As young Roddy McCorley goes to die on the bridge of Toome today.

When last this narrow street he trod, his shining pike in hand Behind him marched, in grim array, a earnest stalwart band. To Antrim town! To Antrim town, he led them to the fray, But young Roddy McCorley goes to die on the bridge of Toome today.

The grey coat and its sash of green were brave and stainless then, A banner flashed beneath the sun over the marching men; The coat hath many a rent this noon, the sash is torn away, And Roddy McCorley goes to die on the bridge of Toome today.

Oh, how his pike flashed in the sun! Then found a foeman's heart, Through furious fight, and heavy odds he bore a true man's part And many a red-coat bit the dust before his keen pike-play, But Roddy McCorley goes to die on the bridge of Toome today.

There's never a one of all your dead more bravely died in fray Than he who marches to his fate in Toomebridge town today; True to the last! True to the last, he treads the upwards way, And young Roddy McCorley goes to die on the bridge of Toome today.

--------------------

MacEAKASteve Ewing

I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. Job 19:25

"Non sibi sed patriae!"

Reviresco (I grow strong again) Clan MacEwen motto

Audaciter (Audacity)My Ewing Family Motto(descendants of Baron William Ewing of Glasgow, born about 1630)

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." Abraham Lincoln

This is the newspaper article that my grandfather cut out of one of the New York Irish papers in 1923. He has underlined his cousin, Martin Burke and my mother wrote on the bottom of the article, that she was told that Martin was 17 years old when he was executed.

To me the most vicious and destructive of all wars are the civil wars, there is no doubt in my mind, for all that I have read on wars and there is quite a lot to read about them...civil wars were the most immorals of war because of what it represented...conflicts from within...meaning by "within" is fathers against sons, brothers against brothers and so on...

These letters are full of deep emotions and quite touching; it reflects hard times and the people that lived it.And at the same time facts of real history.

Thank you for sharing it.

LOA

--------------------

"Few men are brave:many become so through training and discipline."Flavius Vegetius Renatus

"I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strenght to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles."Christopher Reeve

I am not in any way condoning the acts that the British did against the Irish in the 1920s' but look at it in the cold light of day. Ireland was still under British rule and as such was part of the Empire. The Irish who were executed were tried and found guilty of insurrection and treason and under British Law, in fact any Law, were condemned to death. The same would have held true if the U.S. had lost the Revolution all the Founding Fathers who were considered Traitors and would have been executed. Let us not also forget that a good many Irishmen and Scots helped the English put the rebellion down.

I think it basically boils down to being a matter of pride. The letters certainly prove that they remained proud of the fact that they were giving up their life for the fight of freedom for Ireland. The pride also goes out to nameless thousands of Irish, who simply were never captured causing treasonous acts and lived to finally see Ireland free to govern themselves. Imagine the joy on their faces when that day arrived.

I just find it fascinating that someone thought so strongly of these letters and preserved them.

Forgive my confusion, but it's not clear whether we are talking about executions by the English prior to and during the War of Independence (prior to establishment of the Irish Free State in 1921), by the Irish Free State (1921 both during the Irish Civil War and until establishment of the Republic of Ireland), by the Republic of Ireland, or by the English in the Northern Counties still under English rule. Probably technicalities to most, but important to some.For examples of the circumstances under which letters were written, I highly recommend the movie The Wind Shakes the Barley, showing just how fratricidal the Irish Civil War was between the faction of the IRA that accepted the Irish Free State and the faction that did not.

Not sure if you can read the fine print of the newspaper article but from November 17, 1922 to April 26, 1923, the "Free" Irish government executed 77 Irish. As I have been told in conversations with people in Ireland, this was done to save face for those Irish government officials who were still basically sleeping with the English. That's their words, not mine. Many deals were made with the English to finally bring peace. Many Irish didn't agree with some of those deals and continued to fight for what they thought was right. The results which were, the 77 executed.

Thanks for the clarification. For some reason, the newspaper articles don't display for me. Whether the Irish Free State government is considered to be patriots who settled for the best they could get under the circumstances or traitors who sold out to the English, they certainly proved to be as capable of brutally suppressing rebellion as the English were. IMHO, the English are responsible for the Troubles in Northern Ireland as well as for creation of the situation resulting in the Irish Civil War.

My late mother was from Headford in Co. Galway which is only 4 miles from Shrule. Her home was always a safe house for republican during the Irish civil war.One night in 1922 she gave her autograph book to one of a group of men who were resting there.As he could not think of a suitable verse he brought the book home with him. That was the last she saw of the book until it was posted back to her with no explaination in 1925.The book had first been in Athlone prison(Costume Barracks)and then Mountjoy prison Dublin where is was signed by Eamonn de Valera, Dan Breen, Liam Deasy,Austin Stack, Sean McBride and his visitor Richard Mulcahy ( who was a member of the free state party) All of those men are now houselold names in Irish history.A budding artist,(who never fully bloomed) in Athlone did some beautiful water colour landscapes.I can only feel that the man who took the book was one of the 5 men who were executed in Athlone.I danced in Shrule ( which is only a small country village)in 1960.I worked in Dublin at the time and rode a motorbike.I remember the first time I went in to the dance hall there was a pronounced silence.I do bit of writing for a past time. I have had 4 short stories published in Ireland's Own and I writing another short story about this autograph book.